Description
Christian Barry and Sanjay G. Reddy examine how the international trading system can be reformed so as better to support efforts by poor countries to promote the well-being of their peoples. Progressive governments in poor countries fear that if they undertake measures that enhance real wages and working conditions, rising labor costs will force richer countries to import from and invest elsewhere. However, if the world trading system were designed to facilitate or even reward the implementation of labor reforms, poor countries can reform their policies and practices without fear of retaliation. New rules for international trade can lessen the collective-action problem among poor countries, leading to a substantial increase in their freedom to pursue policies that better serve the interests of their people. Incorporating the right kind of linkage between trading opportunities and the promotion of labor standards will empower countries, allowing them greater effective sovereignty and enabling them to improve the circumstances of working people. Barry and Reddy demonstrate how linkage can be made acceptable to all players in the global marketplace, and they thoroughly defend these ideas from detractors. Their volume is accessible to ordinary readers but draws on sophisticated economic and philosophical arguments and includes response essays from leading labor activists, economists, and philosophers from throughout the world (including Kyle Bagwell, Robert Goodin, Rohini Hensman, and Roberto Mangabeira Unger).
